What is the importance of the general election with respect to the Northern Ireland political process?
Voters in Northern Ireland are effectively indicating who should speak on their behalf in the continuing negotiations. If any party increases its representation, this will be seen as strengthening its hand at the talks table. Have the number of MPs from Northern Ireland’s main political parties changed over the last four general elections? Yes. In 1987, the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP were the dominant parties in their respective communities. Northern Ireland had 17 seats. The Ulster Unionists had nine MPs, whilst the DUP had three. The SDLP had three MPs, whilst Sinn Fein had one. North Down was represented by the Popular Unionist Jim Kilfedder. In 1992, the SDLP took West Belfast from Sinn Fein. In 1997, a new seat of West Tyrone was created and the Ulster Unionists won it, taking their representation to 10. Sinn Fein won West Belfast back from the SDLP and took Mid Ulster from the DUP. The UK Unionist Bob McCartney held on to the North Down seat which he won in a by-election after
